Ratchet.



E. S. MILLER.

RATCHET.

APPLICATION FILED JULYM, 1911.

1,065,163. Patented June 17,1913.

Pfiiwessv W /7% rlz PLANDGRAPH CO-,WASHINGTON. D, c,

UNITED STATES Pl XTEN '1 OFFICE.

EDWIN S: MILLER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

RATCHE'I.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ratchets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ratchet-s of that class which are adapted to be interposed between the article to be drilled, cut or operated upon and a backing which receives the thrust while operating the ratchet.

One form of ratchets of this kind as heretofore constructed have been provided with a feed mechanism comprising a screw terminating at its outer end in a point which was adapted to engage with the backing. When using such ratchets for very heavy work this bearing point would often stick on the bearing particularly when the latter was arranged at an oblique angle to the line of thrust which prevented the screw from turning and produced an excessive feeding action on the tool, thereby causing the tool to stick and break.

It is the object of this invention to provide simple, inexpensive and efficient means for supporting the feed screw on the backing so as to permit the feed screw to turn freely at all times regardless of the pressure exerted on the same and also regardless of whether the face of the backing which receives the thrust is arranged at right angles to the line of thrust or at an oblique angle thereto.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a ratchet drill embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section in line 22, Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts in both views.

Although the ratchet with which my in vention may be associated may be variously constructed that shown in the drawings for example is constructed as follows:

1 represents a hollow supporting head having a bearing 2 and a laterally projecting handle 3 in which a spring pressed pawl or dog 4 is slidably mounted.

5 is a holder rotatable in said bearing and provided axially with a socket 6 which is adapted to receive a drill 7 or other tool so that the latter projects from the front end of the holder. At its rearend the holder is provided with an adjusting sleeve 8 which turns with the holder and tool and which is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 24, 1911.

Patented June 17, 1913.

Serial No. 640.119.

provided at its upper or outer end with an internally screw threaded opening 9. On its periphery the tool holder is provided with an annular row of ratchet teeth 19 which are engaged successively by the pawl 4 upon oscillating the handle 3 for turning the holder and tool forward intermittently.

10 represents an adjusting screw which has an external thread working in the threaded opening of the adjusting sleeve. At its outer end the adjusting screw is provided with an outwardly tapering shank 11 and at the outer end of this shank the same is provided with a spherical knuckle or ball 12 which is no larger in diameter than the small outer end of the shank. The screw, shank and knuckle are preferably constructed in one piece, as shown in the drawlngs.

13 represents a cup shaped or tubular handle which surrounds the adjusting screw and sleeve and which is provided in the bottom at its upper outer end with a conical opening 14 which receives the conical shank of the screw. This shank and handle are united so that they turn together, preferably by providing the outer side of the shank with a plurality of longitudinal ribs, flutes or scores, as shown in Fig. 1, and securing the same in the opening of the tubular handle by a driving fit.

By constructing the knuckle of a diameter no greater than the small end of the tapering shank it is possible to pass the knuckle through this opening and therefore enable the knuckle to be made integral with the shank and screw.

15 represents a disk-shaped presser foot which is provided on its outer side with a roughened face so that upon engaging the same with a backing 16 which receives the thrust of the ratchet this foot will not slip or turn on the backing. On its inner or front side the presser foot is provided with a circular recess 17 which receives the spherical knuckle and which has its edge turned, spun or bent inwardly below the center of the knuckle, so that the mouth of the recess is smaller in diameter than the knuckle and therefore confines the latter in the recess and prevents the presser foot from becoming detached from the adjusting screw.

18 represents an annular row of balls interposed between the bottom of the recess in the presser foot and the outer end of the spherical knuckle. By this means a ball bearing is formed between the screw and the backing which practically eliminates all frictional resistance to the turning of the feed screw and permits the latter to always turn freely with the adjusting handle, and tool holder, and thereby prevent unintentional or force feeding of the tool which otherwise might produce excessive advancing of the tool and cause the same to become cramped and broken as is frequently the case when using ratchets as heretofore constructed.

When it is desired.to intentionally feed the tool forward as the cutting or work of the same progresses, the tubular screw handle is held against turning while the tool holder continues to turn forwardly, thereby causing the adjusting sleeve to advance on the adjusting screw as much as desired. Furthermore, by providing a swivel connection between the presser foot and the adjusting screw this presser foot can adapt itself to any obliquity of the surface of the backing which is engaged by the presser foot and permits of a direct thrust against the tool for boring or working at any desired angle, without liability of tipping the ratchet and breaking the drill or other tool while the latter is engaging the work piece '20 operated upon. By providing the feed screw with the swiveling presser foot no punch marking of the backing is required as has been necessary heretofore for receiving the point of the adjusting screw.

I claim as my invention:

1. A ratchet drill comprising a head provided with a bearing, a tool holder journaled in said bearing and provided with a sleeve, an adjusting screw working in said sleeve and provided at its outer end with a sphericalknuckle, a presser foot which has a bottom and a side wall forming a recess which receives said knuckle and which has the edge of its wall bent inwardly for preventing the knuckle from moving out of said recess, said bottom and wall being formed integrally and balls interposed between the outer end of said knuckle and the bottom of said recess.

2. A ratchet drill comprising a head provided with a bearing, a tool holder journaled in said bearing and provided with a sleeve, an adjusting screw working in a threaded opening in said sleeve and provided at its outer end with an outwardly tapering shank and with a spherical knuckle at the outer end of said shank which is no larger in diameter than the small end of said shank, a cup-shaped handle surrounding the adjusting sleeve and provided in its bottom with an opening through which said knuckle is passed and in which said shank is secured, a presser foot which is adapted to bear at its outer side against a backing and which has a bottom plate and a side wall forming a circular recess receiving said knuckle and which has its side wall turned inwardly for confining said knuckle in said recess, said bottom plate and side wall be ing formed of one piece, and a row of balls interposed between the bottom of saidrecess and the outer end of said knuckle,

Witness my hand this 20th dayiof July, 1911.

EDWIN s. MILLER.

Witnesses:

THEO. L. POPP, ANNA HEIGIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

